ACA State Director: Marcos Norris
Meet Marcos – new ACA State Director for Illinois
Very few paddlers actually know that the American Canoe Association (ACA) exists, and even fewer know that each State has a Director working on expanding the paddling footprint. Meet Marcos Garcia Norris, a paddler who in 2020 didn’t know any of the above and who was elected in January 2025 as the ACA State Director for Illinois.
The ACA often confuses paddlers as it is more than canoeing (its origins), and includes both kayaking (whitewater, river, sea, rafting) and stand up paddleboarding. Founded in 1880, the ACA is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the broader paddling public by providing educational programs, supporting stewardship initiatives that affect paddlers, and offering competition opportunities to athletes of all abilities. The key words for the ACA are Education, Competition, Policy & Stewardship and Insurance.
And here is where Marcos appears as State Director…the point of contact between all paddlers in Illinois and all those key words. He is attempting to bring the ACA closer to the paddlers, and build a stronger, safer, more knowledgeable and happier paddling community. All of that as a volunteer!
Marcos started getting involved with the ACA when he decided to increase his technical know-how on sea kayaking, and registered for both rolling and sea kayaking classes. He was amazed at the amount of information available, but mystified at how difficult it was to access it, and how limited the resources are. That’s when he decided to become an ACA Instructor himself and to start working on building a roadmap to make it easier for others in the future.
With hardly any resources at his disposal, and a zero budget, Marcos has approached the humongous task with a clear Vision: start with the basics – meet paddlers and share information. Hopefully once a good base is established, the next steps can be taken to keep growing as a community.
You will see Marcos utilizing any free resource available (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, paddling events, etc) to slowly get the message out. And what is the message?
1) The ACA has wonderful resources for education and instruction that paddlers can use to become safer and happier paddlers.
2) The ACA is involved in stewardship projects in rivers, lakes, and open waters that everyone will benefit from.
3) There are advantages in becoming an ACA Member for paddlers who want to become more involved in the sport.
4) Let’s share information and have lots of fun!
Where can you contact Marcos or follow his project? Check him out on any of the following: